Rate & Review: Halloween Of Horror

How'd ya like the CANON Treehouse Of Horror episode?


  • Total voters
    153
But neither of you answered my question, WHY does The Simpsons, and ONLY The Simpsons start at 7:59 PM? I will be writing a complaint to the Fox network.
Could it have something to do with the fact that the episode ran 31:02 from start to finish? Unless there's an extra minute of commercials, it could be because the episode just ran long.
 
This was a great episode; from start to finish it kept a very good and fun tone which made me smile a lot and there was even a good and surprisingly dark Halloween atmosphere with some real and nice spookiness, good tension in the main plot and very good animation to go along with it (including a lot of good use of shadows). It's not often I felt so satisfied after watching one of the new episodes as I did after this so even before getting into the rest of my review, I'll say that many episodes like this doesn't grow on trees during this era of the show but when it does happen, it's usually a pretty big thing.

It started well and introduced all the plot elements and storylines that unfolded well: Homer getting the trio of thuggish clerks at Apu's pop-up Halloween store fired due to his stupidity and them swearing revenge (which comes back later on), Lisa getting scared and traumatized after a visiting the Krusty Halloween park for the first time and eventually resorting to cuddling with her stuffed raccoon tail called Tailee which has been there for her before in tough times (which was a great and incredibly interesting plotline, both with her actually acting like a scared kid and how Marge as well as Homer reacts to it and treats it; very realistic in a way and so human) and Bart pretty much missing out on all the trick-or-treating due to the family having to take all their Halloween decorations down due to Lisa being fearful of the holiday and Marge having to drive him and Maggie around while trying to salvage the situation. All of it played out well without more or less poorly/shoddily cutting back and forth and I didn't fell that there were practically any hiccups that brought it down, which was all good.

Homer's story with the former pop-up store clerks deciding to scare him (to the point of breaking into the Simpson home and even freaking Lisa out) and the story of Lisa and her trauma (in which Homer stays at home with her at the time of the trio's assault and Tailee eventually comes to good use) joined together naturally and worked very well as the one plotline it became and the Bart & Marge subplot was a very good supplement (and it also gave us a good little song about the adults of Springfield having their own dress-up celebration after the kids have gone home which was the cherry on top). It all clicked together perfectly and was both fun and also a little spooky which was perfect, not to mention also a bit emotional with Homer & Lisa bonding while working as a team (and I'm thankful there was no couch gag to eat up time, thus allowing the plot to develop and flow naturally without coming off as rushed and unsatisfying. The humor was overall good and even though there were no true standouts I got some chuckles and smiles out of most of the jokes, gags and various references (practically none of them coming off as bad to me), even the meta jokes at the start and the end, so that aspect was good as a whole, especially with the rest of the episode working as well as it did (oh, and Maggie finding and picking up the burnt remnants of Tailee, caressing it to the tune of the Halloween movie theme during the credits was a good one).

So all in all, for a canonical Halloween episode it was surprisingly good and the first episode in quite some time I'd go as far all calling "great"; every element came together so well and was balanced naturally (the main plot with Lisa's fear trauma in the center which was one of the best modern plot ideas, the little subplot about Bart and his despair over missing Halloween, the humor, the emotion and so forth) and created a pretty unique, down-to-earth, well written and well paced episode which was a lot of fun, especially for one of the HD episodes that are usually seen as pretty meh to bad. A triumph and a standout? Probably it is and it is quite deserved. Is it as good as one of the classic era greats and pretty much perfect? Probably not as it's not perfect and there are still things in it that could be improved, but it doesn't really need to be much better and it is for sure is one of the best of the HD era (and I think I would go out on a limb and say it's the best of that batch thus far, even being one that I wouldn't mind revisiting).

An easy 5/5
 
Last edited:
i watched it again and the episode was even better the second time. Probably one of the best Halloween-themed episodes (including THOH) from the series. Very pleasant surprise and as others mentioned, an easy 5/5 for me.
 
Good episode, for the first time in years it felt like it was on for along time but because it had plenty of funny moments instead of feeling like 20 minutes of watching paint dry. It was also scarier than any Treehouse of Horror episode. 4/5
 
Yeah I liked this. Refreshing to see Lisa really act her age and it was sweet in a way seeing her cower in Homer's arms. First time in a long while I haven't ended an episode feeling like I wasted my time.
 
Is it me, or with the exception of the godawful premiere has this season been quite decent so far? Two pretty decent episodes and one outstanding one in a row, which would comfortably put it near the top of the HD season starts.
 
8037H%20-%20Weazel%20Ball.jpg

Thanks for the web-grab Beavis! .. I immediately identified Lisa's security blanket toy remnant as one of those. ..

It was also in "The Last Tap Dance in Springfield."
IKET5xr.png


A shiny new donkey for whomever can figure out a plausible connection between that Frink invention and Tailie.

EDIT: Oops, missed Captain Squid's post with the screenshot showing Lisa holding a raccoon doll. (Shiny new donkey offer still stands.) Also, I want to echo a lot of the praise this episode has gotten. Terrific characterizations of Homer and Lisa, and a lot of solid jokes to boot. One of the best episodes in years.
 
Last edited:
So true, the exact same thing happened with Brick Like Me. Look at how much it is hated today while the episode was just as well received as HoH.

Is Brick Like Me really that hated? I don't remember it garnering much hatred at all and no one seem to bring it up when talking about the bad episodes of the HD era.
 
The episode has been called one of the most overrated HD episodes many times recently. The LEGO gimmick kills the underlying plot.
 
Is it me, or with the exception of the godawful premiere has this season been quite decent so far? Two pretty decent episodes and one outstanding one in a row, which would comfortably put it near the top of the HD season starts.

I'd say this season has been pretty solid so far, even doing slightly better than previous season. I don't even think Every Man's Dream is THAT bad, I think its just because people don't like dream sequences as a way to come up with some really out of place writing for the show. Cue Detective and Puffless are both really good, I even gave puffless a 5/5.

Is Brick Like Me really that hated? I don't remember it garnering much hatred at all and no one seem to bring it up when talking about the bad episodes of the HD era.

This episode was about to be the first one taking down in a season 25 R&R thread, yet it made it to about 2nd or 3rd place because luckily some fans were able to keep it alive. But the hate for that episode was definately real, and its still all over the general discussions. For some reason people just can't stand the LEGO gimmick, while imo the plot itself is another really solid Homer/Lisa story.
 
Last edited:
It being seen as overrated by a lot of fans I get, but I still cannot recall reading anything about it being an outright terrible episode (and I personally didn't think the LEGO aspect killed it; all that worked together with the plot itself despite the gimmick, which was silly fun and something different, but the Hunger Games parody stuff was quite weak and was what that brought it down a bit for me).
 
Very good episode. Wouldn't feel out of place in season 8, 9 or early Jean era. I felt it was a little slow paced at some moments and the story wasn't that complex, but it was well done in terms of emotion and animation. I loved the idea of paying tribute to Rocky Horror Picture Show although the song wasn't as catchy as the real one they were spoofing. Some genuinely atmospheric and creepy moments and good characterizations. 4,5/5.

Incidentally my problem with Brick Like Me is that the story was a bit too simmilar to The Lego Movie. Other than that it was a pretty decent episode.
 
The episode has been called one of the most overrated HD episodes many times recently. The LEGO gimmick kills the underlying plot.

What I noticed was that when the episode first came out, people loved it, and upon looking back on it later, it didn't seem as amazing and its rating went down. At least that's what I saw to some degree on this forum.

I don't really expect that to happen with Halloween of Horror, though.
 
People's perception of episodes changes over time, especially with new episodes that seem particularly good relative to the typical mediocre new episode. But that novelty wears off and people probably start comparing them more to classic episodes rather than new episodes. But for me, Brick Like Me is not one of those episodes; it is terrible and that has been my opinion from the beginning. And I know I'm not the only one who thinks that.
 
What I noticed was that when the episode first came out, people loved it, and upon looking back on it later, it didn't seem as amazing and its rating went down. At least that's what I saw to some degree on this forum.

I don't really expect that to happen with Halloween of Horror, though.
I think positive response is more likely to be short-lived for episodes that are propped up by a gimmick or artificial hype.
To correlate this to something outside of Simpsons fandom, take Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as an example of that.

Now I'm not one of the many outspoken Brick Like Me detractors but I do feel that there's very little substance beyond the style and it is largely outclassed by The LEGO Movie, which executed many of the same jokes better. I applaud both Matthew Nastuk's direction and the ambition of the plot. Plus, this episode makes a strong initial impression... but it doesn't really hold up on rewatch. Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, I can't help but feel that Homer's characterization feels off. For as much as he wants to escape into his LEGO alternate reality so he doesn't have to watch Lisa grow up and leave him, he barely interacts with her LEGO counterpart apart from a weak tea party scene. This feels like one of those episode concepts that was too weighty for the 22-minute format to effectively sell it.

Even factoring all of that, I would still consider it the 3rd best episode from Season 25... and probably more essential to watch than The War of Art even though I would consider it to be the better of the two on rewatch and would rate it higher. (Season 25's a sore spot for me because I'm still bitter at Pay Pal's pacing issues... and don't even get me started on Days of Future Future.)
 
I think positive response is more likely to be short-lived for episodes that are propped up by a gimmick or artificial hype.
To correlate this to something outside of Simpsons fandom, take Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as an example of that.

Now I'm not one of the many outspoken Brick Like Me detractors but I do feel that there's very little substance beyond the style and it is largely outclassed by The LEGO Movie, which executed many of the same jokes better. I applaud both Matthew Nastuk's direction and the ambition of the plot. Plus, this episode makes a strong initial impression... but it doesn't really hold up on rewatch. Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, I can't help but feel that Homer's characterization feels off. For as much as he wants to escape into his LEGO alternate reality so he doesn't have to watch Lisa grow up and leave him, he barely interacts with her LEGO counterpart apart from a weak tea party scene. This feels like one of those episode concepts that was too weighty for the 22-minute format to effectively sell it.

Even factoring all of that, I would still consider it the 3rd best episode from Season 25... and probably more essential to watch than The War of Art even though I would consider it to be the better of the two on rewatch and would rate it higher. (Season 25's a sore spot for me because I'm still bitter at Pay Pal's pacing issues... and don't even get me started on Days of Future Future.)

I agree with all of that, frankly.

Halloween of Horror has a sort-of gimmick, i.e. a Halloween episode that isn't a THOH, but it isn't as much of a gimmick as the LEGO theme in Brick Like Me. To me, HoH's "gimmick" is more of a novelty--something that could've been done at any point in the show (that many fans might've wanted to see at some point), but happened to be done now (and done well). Whereas Brick Like Me was capitalizing on the LEGO Movie's popularity and hype and is "dated" in that sense. And I agree that the episode is more style than substance. The style of course can lead people (including me) to think that it was "awesome" upon first viewing but then to later view it as overrated. On my personal Season 25 ranking, I did place it at #5, but Season 25 is, along with 24, one of the most mediocre seasons of all time. It doesn't have the stand-out bad episodes that 23 has, but there's just very little remarkable in that season, so putting BLM at #5 isn't saying all that much.

With new episodes, they tend to run the opposite of the classic era because they tend to get worse over time with repeat viewings. The HD era doesn't have any episodes, minus a couple, that get better with repeat viewings.

I agree and that is one of the biggest weaknesses of the HD era. Though I have found a couple episodes I initially reacted very negatively to and found I liked them more than I thought (and maybe more than the general consensus). Still, a lot of the initially “good” HD episodes significantly lose their luster upon repeated viewings and that doesn’t happen with the classic era’s best.
 
well it didn't help that pkkao was literally saying that the episode as a whole was better than "the lego movie"

not sure if he still feels the same a year-and-a-half later but yea, shit like that will skew perceptions
 
well it didn't help that pkkao was literally saying that the episode as a whole was better than "the lego movie"

not sure if he still feels the same a year-and-a-half later but yea, shit like that will skew perceptions
I think the only way that Brick Like Me could have outshined The Lego Movie in quality would have been had Phil Lord & Chris Miller been brought on board as freelancers to write the script themselves. Those guys are immensely talented.
 
I have NO idea where all of this praise is coming from! This is a terrible episode!
The main problem was the jokes. Aside from the "i saw an areola" joke, the humor was just chuckles, and even then, they were limited. As you all know, i can't like a Simpsons episode if it has bad jokes.
Lisa was poorly characterized. It felt very odd seeing her being so afraid of things that aren't real.
Overall, i give this a 3/10. Who knows though? Maybe this is a sign i should pay attention to more than just the jokes. |
Nah, probably not.
On a side note, [MENTION=66196]More Screamin[/MENTION] also hated it.
 
Lisa was poorly characterized. It felt very odd seeing her being so afraid of things that aren't real.

If anything, I'm really glad that they portrayed her more like her age. Its not even like her fear for things that aren't real is anything knew, her fear played a huge part in The Girl Who Slept Too Little. Which I'd also call a great episode.
 
Lisa was poorly characterized. It felt very odd seeing her being so afraid of things that aren't real.
She always have been afraid of things e.g. The Girl Who Slept Too Little

Also anyone noticed how Lisa in earlier seasons always seem to be self-righteous, preachy, a bit serious, has a stuck-up attitude and yells at everyone for being wrong?
Recent episodes present her to be more playful and childlike but still very intelligent and caring. I like this change because she became more likeable, cute and adorable while still being herself from earlier seasons as being smart and emotional.
I grew up watching The Simpsons since I was 7 or 8 so Lisa was the very first character ever (from any TV shows or movies) that I felt attached with, the thing I dislike about her in the beginning was exactly her tendency to be self-righteous and being inconsiderate of others (I am male btw).

So if anything, this episode presents the best version of Lisa I ever seen, smart and sensitive. I prefer to keep this version.

Also if you are going to rewatch this episode, pay attention to the music cues around the 8:10 mark when Marge is carrying Lisa home and 13:30 when Homer was trying to find Lisa, and lastly around 18:30 when Homer and Lisa are on the roof. The use of music in this episode is superb, it is strong, tense and emotional.

Even though this may not be a very funny episode, it is the one that has the most emotional impact for me. And if you are a fan of Lisa Simpson, this is just gold.

All thanks to Mike B. Anderson for directing this episode and adding those small touches such as the music that gives this episode a high quality feel. (His episodes has always been consistently good)
 
She always have been afraid of things e.g. The Girl Who Slept Too Little

There's also "The Ziff Who Came to Dinner" as an example of Lisa being frightened of something not real (she and Bart had the same reaction to the movie and the noises in the attic). So there definitely is a precedent for Lisa's behavior in this episode, even if it isn't such a large one.
 
Back
Top